President-Designate Matthew Wilson (left) is introduced to campus by David Liechti, chair of the Board of Governors.
March 18, 2019—“What a wonderful day it is,” Matthew Wilson, J.D., said on Monday, March 18, as he was formally introduced as Missouri Western State University’s next president. Wilson, currently a professor of law at the University of Akron School of Law and previously president of the University of Akron, will begin his duties July 1.
Wilson said as he learned more about Missouri Western through the application and interview process, he was struck by the “E3” statement in Missouri Western’s strategic plan: Every Employee is an Educator.
“When I read that in your plan, I knew this was the place for me, because that’s what I love about education, is every person in an organization being an educator,” President-Designate Wilson said. “We have the unique opportunity to make an impact on the life of the individual, the family, the community, the region, the state, the nation and the entire world.”
“It’s my mission to help the world discover the magic that we have here at Missouri Western,” Wilson continued. “We truly have the opportunity to come together and to innovate, to be creative, to have approaches that are going to impact and benefit our students. We can here, together as one, reach new heights in academics, and arts, and music and athletics. We can teach our students how to communicate effectively, how to think critically, how to lead, how to innovate, how to be entrepreneurial and how to celebrate differences. We can open minds, we can open eyes and we can open hearts.”
Wilson said more important than any preconceived notions he may have are the thoughts and ideas he hopes to hear from the campus and the community in the months ahead.
“One of the biggest things that a new president can do is to listen. As your incoming president, it is my intention to solicit information, to listen intently to your thoughts, your observations and your ideas,” he said. “I have discovered throughout my life that through listening, you can truly discover, you can formulate a foundation for collective initiative and mutual success.”
While traveling to St. Joseph Saturday, Wilson and his wife, Noriko, learned of the rising floodwaters of the Missouri River and a call for volunteers. So they spent a couple of hours Sunday helping to fill sandbags.
“And as we were coming back from sandbagging, Noriko turned to me and said, ‘You know what? This feels like home,’” he said. “Thank you for welcoming us to our new home.”
“This is just an example of the kind of people they are,” said David Liechti, chair of the Board of Governors and chair of the Presidential Search Committee. “They’re here, they’ve got a few hours, what do they do? They go down and fill sandbags. I was really impressed, and I know the community will see a lot of that kind of participation from you two.”
Both Wilson and Liechti thanked outgoing president, Dr. Robert Vartabedian, who will retire this summer after 11 years as president.
“We really appreciate your service,” Liechti said. “You have set a foundation for us to continue to grow.”
“Thank you for your leadership and your guidance of the university; it’s been tremendous,” Wilson said. “The respect that I have come to know of everybody in the community for you is truly something that you should be honored by, and I know that I am feeling less than worthy of following in your footsteps.”
Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.